1. CSE 627 Final Project
David Schletty
Western Oregon University
Summer 2014
2. Audience for Unit of Instruction
• The audience for this unit of instruction, is a
United States history class, comprised of
high school juniors.
• At the school where I work, U.S. History is a
class that is required for all students.
• Students take this class during their Junior
year of high school.
3. Unit: The 1950s/Cold War
• This unit covers the 1950s and the Cold
War. Some of the topics covered are pop
culture, The Korean War, Capitalism vs.
Communism, Cold War tensions,
McCarthyism, and the Atomic Bomb.
• The entire unit, is a few days longer than
five days, however, for this presentation, five
days of instruction are included.
4. Learning Objectives
• Describe cultural developments of the
1950’s.
• Identify differences and similarities
between modern pop culture and 50’s pop
culture.
• Describe the development of Rock and Roll
and the Beat movement.
• Compare and contrast capitalism and
communism.
5. Learning Objectives continued…
• Describe the development of The Cold War,
and how tensions rose during the era.
• Decide whether or not a free South Korea is
worth an American soldier’s life.
• Define McCarthyism and explain why
McCarthy did what he did.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of fear as a
motivator.
6. Context
• This is a unit for a high school United States
history class.
• It is for the second half of a two trimester
course.
• The second half of U.S. History covers from
The Great Depression to 9/11.
• This course is required for graduation.
7. Lesson 1: Pop Culture in the 1950s
• Learning Objective: Describe cultural developments of
the 1950’s.
• Language Objective: Identify differences and similarities
between modern pop culture and 50’s pop culture.
• Journal: Is there anything good about social conformity?
• Introduce Learning and Language Objectives.
– Write these on the white board.
• Unlocking Prior Knowledge
– Students get into groups and write down as much as they know
about the 1950’s. Share. Give EC to the group with the most
50’s item. Play Elvis.
8. Lesson 1: Pop Culture in the 1950s
continued…
• Teacher Presentation: 50’s Pop Culture
– This is a PowerPoint presentation about the
1950s.
• 50’s Home Economics
– Students gather in groups. One reads the home
economics excerpt from a 50’s textbook.
Discuss.
9. Lesson 1: Pop Culture in the 1950s
continued…
• Web 2.0 Tool—Prezi--Venn Diagram www.Prezi.com
– Modern times vs. the 1950’s. Create a Venn Diagram
using Prezi, of the differences and similarities of the
1950’s Popular Culture vs Today’s Popular culture.
• Rationale: Prezi is a wonderful presentation tool for
sharing information. It is easy to use, and very easy to
share your presentation online. For an assignment like
this, Prezi would be the perfect fit. It would be easy to add
the information needed into the various types of Prezis
available to use, and the class would enjoy using this
technology to share their presentations.
• Review…
10. Lesson 2: Rock and Roll and the
Beatniks
• Learning Objective: Describe the development
of Rock and Roll and the Beat movement.
• Language Objective: Write a beatnik style
poem.
• Journal: Film Clips: Hound dog sung by Elvis
and by a Delta Blues singer… compare the two.
observations
• Introduce Learning and Language Objectives.
– Write these on the white board.
11. Lesson 2: Rock and Roll and the
Beatniks continued…
• Teacher Presentation: Rock and Roll and
the Beats
– Students take notes. This is a PowerPoint
presentation.
• Film Clip: Beatnik Poetry
– This is a YouTube clip.
• Read An Excerpt From “On the Road”
12. Lesson 2: Rock and Roll and the
Beatniks continued…
• Web 2.0 Tool—YouTube Video: Poetry Slam
– www.youtube.com
• Students create weird Beat style poetry in
groups. Once the poetry is created, students
will film themselves performing the poetry and
then upload the video clip to YouTube, and
later present them to the class. Students will
then create a playlist of their five (5) favorite
Beat Poetry videos found on YouTube.
13. Lesson 2: Rock and Roll and the
Beatniks continued…
• Rationale: YouTube is a great tool for sharing videos
not only with classmates or friends, but with the
world. Students are on YouTube all of the time, and
watching videos. I feel that it would be empowering
for students to create their own YouTube video and
share it with the class and the rest of the online
community. YouTube videos can be inspiring for
others, or could provide a quick laugh for someone
on a bad day. By creating a playlist, it will allow
students to dig deeper into the topic and find more
videos that are related to the topic and are of
interest.
• Review…
14. Lesson 3: Capitalism vs Communism
and the Beginning of the Cold War
• Learning Objective: Compare and contrast capitalism and
communism.
• Learning Objective: Describe the development of The Cold War, and
how tensions rose during the era.
• Journal: From each according to his ability to each according to his
need… What do you think?
• Interview Activity, Chapter 18.1
– Post sections of the reading around the room in open and hidden
locations. Give pairs of students a worksheet and have them
rotate: one finds an answer and brings it back, the other writes it
down, and flip it so that every other answer is completed by the
same student.
• Review Activity
– Graphic Organizer, completed in pairs and stapled to paper
• Teacher Presentation: Communism (Philosophy) and Cold War
Tensions
– This is a PowerPoint presentation, students take notes.
15. Lesson 3: Capitalism vs Communism
continued…
• Factory Sim
– Declare a communist dictator. Divide the class into 2.
The dictator runs a factory. Others organize themselves.
– Appoint 2 judges. Judges get 18/20.
– Students will be making paper dolls. Each is worth a
point. The goal is for one side to make more than the
other.
– The dictator sets a quota. If the workers meet it, they
get 20 points. If not they get 16 points.
– Capitalists get 2 points for every doll accepted.
– The Dictator gets 25 points if he or she wins, 10 points
if he or she loses.
– Don’t tell the capitalists how to organize.
16. Lesson 3: Capitalism vs Communism
continued…
• Web 2.0 Tool—Podcast www.talkshoe.com
• Students will create a podcast using
TalkShoe, to compare Capitalism and
Communism. Students will form groups of
four (4), and create a podcast that
compares the two terms. Two (2) students
will provide the definition and examples of
Capitalism, and two (2) students will provide
the examples of Communism.
17. Lesson 3: Capitalism vs Communism
continued…
• Rationale: I recently learned about how to podcast, and
I think that this would be a great fun new assignment for
the students. There are so many different possibilities
with podcasts. The students could put together oral
history projects to share with the class, or do reports
that way, incorporating primary sources for reference.
Students could also do projects based on if they were
someone who lived during a certain era, and do the
project from that person's perspective, like a veteran of
a war, someone who was one of the framers of the
Constitution, or someone who is from another country.
• Review…
18. Lesson 4: The Cold War Heats Up
• Learning Objective: Identify the arena in which the
US and USSR actually did trade shots.
• Language Objective: Decide whether or not a free
South Korea is worth an American soldier’s life.
• Journal: Describe your greatest loss.
• Teacher Presentation: The Korean War
– This is a PowerPoint presentation, students take notes.
• Letters from a Dead Soldier
– Students read “Scraps of Love and Loss” from the St.
Petersburg Times. Mind map, each page is a bubble
with 4 word items and 1 picture for a total of 20
• Discuss, group mind map on the board
19. Lesson 4: The Cold War Heats Up
continued…
• Web 2.0 Tool—Wiki for the student Cold War
Study Guide www.wiki.com
• Students will create a class Wiki about the
Cold War, using terms and definitions from
the Cold War Study Guide (a worksheet
handed out as a review assignment). This
will be added to in later days of the Unit,
which is longer than 5 total days.
20. Lesson 4: The Cold War Heats Up
continued…
• Rationale: I feel that there could be a use for Wikis
in my classroom. I was skeptical at first, however, if I
was able to monitor the content and discussions on
the Wiki page, I feel that it could be a valuable tool
to use. Students would be able to access the Wiki
pretty much anywhere, and have access to valuable
class information about the current topic. There are
a lot of different things that can be done with a
Wiki, videos can be included, as well as discussions,
that could be of great use in the classroom.
• Review…
21. Lesson 5:McCarthyism and The A-
Bomb
• Learning Objective: Define McCarthyism and explain
why McCarthy did what he did.
• Language Objective: Evaluate the effectiveness of fear
as a motivator.
• Journal: What scares you the most?
• YouTube Clip: Atomic Bomb Test
• YouTube Clip: 50’s bomb shelter
• Teacher Presentation: McCarthyism and the Atomic
Bomb
– This is a PowerPoint presentation, students take notes.
• Discussion: Isn’t it easy to get people to do things if they
are afraid?
22. Lesson 5:McCarthyism and The A-
Bomb continued…
• Web 2.0 Tool—SlideShare
www.slideshare.net
• Students will create a PowerPoint, for
uploading onto SlideShare. The PowerPoint
is to cover the topics of Fear, McCarthyism
and the Atomic Bomb in the 1950s, and
how people were affected during that time.
23. Lesson 5: McCarthyism and The A-
Bomb continued…
• Rationale: SlideShare is a great tool for sharing a
presentation, and having it available for all to see at any
time and almost anywhere. Most students already know
how to create a PowerPoint presentation, but this would
allow them to submit the assignment from home, and
then the teacher could go through it and grade it, and
not have to have an entire day of class presentations for
everyone to have to sit through. The teacher could assign
the class to look them up on their own and take notes
on three (3) different presentations for example, instead
of having to listen to each and every presentation.
• Review…
24. The Rest of the Unit
• The rest of the unit is the following:
– 6. DBQ: essay assignment
– 7. Review: Jeopardy
– 8. Unit Exam